As I sit here writing my 1st blog of 2021, I can’t help but think about what it was like to write our first blog of 2020! What was going through our minds exactly one year ago, during our first year as a garden grant recipient and Covid was not even a thing yet? We had no idea of the challenges that were about to come our way. Some challenges were related to Covid but most were what I’d call ‘rookie’ challenges… just the typical learning curve that comes with being new at something.

Our program is stronger. This new strength comes from our returning gardeners and building upon our previous experience as a little community.  Here are some ways things are already different in our second year….
  • Last years photos have made our first workshop so much easier. By easier I mean that people seem to be absorbing the info faster, with less questions and the designs coming in are very good! It turns out all those photos our gardeners posted on Facebook are a great resource for garden education!
  • The cumulative gardening experience in our group is higher now.  and it takes some pressure off of me having to be the one with all the answers.
  • We have volunteers! Last year’s gardeners are stepping up to help.
  • Starting off with an established Facebook group has been very helpful. Those typical “F.A.Q.” type things that come up are being handled there. This also gives our returning gardeners an opportunity to see just how far they’ve come since last year. I think it’s becoming a cycle of service.

Here are some photos of tractor operator Bill Hunt and our new Grillo tiller & rotary plow.